Everyday Canvas

Overhearing

Prompt: Overheard Conversations
Do you use overheard conversations in your writing? What makes overhearing a conversation so interesting whether a person is a writer or not?

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Overheard conversations are a source and a rich one. These are snippets of real-life dialogue, captured by chance. Unfortunately, I can't use them as much because at the time I hear them, I usually don't have with me any means to note them, since I'm usually with other people and the place could be a restaurant or a market.

This brings to mind my childhood. One of my cousins is also my best friend, and when together, we always came up with sneaky, bright(!) ideas. When we were about nine years old, we used to sit side by side in a corner in the room and write down what the adults talked about in exactly their words. We didn't do it for the sake of writing at the time, since we had no intentions to use it in writing or for anything else, but we thought it was fun to put down what the adults were mispronouncing or giving different accents to words or using a wrong word, let alone gossiping after someone else. Leave it to kids to pick on adults! Finally, my mother who caught on to our giggles, put a stop to it.

Where writers are concerned, however, overheard conversations are precious because they let us glimpse raw unfiltered human emotions, speech patterns and behavior. By listening to how people naturally speak, including their cadences, slang, and idiosyncrasies, writers can create characters that sound real to the readers. Above all, dialogue that is genuine can help the readers immerse themselves in a story, especially when the writer is aware of the subtext. Take this clip for example from the opening of the novel, Mr. Paradise, by Elmore Leonard, who is a master of the informal speech.

"So forget about it," Chloe said. "He likes us." She brought a Ritz-Carlton ashtray from her coat pocket and placed it on the table, Emily watching.

She said, "They're always from a different hotel. I like the one, I think it's from the Sunset Marquis?"

"It's one of my favorites," Chloe said. "Next time I'm in L.A. I'll pick up a few more."

Emily said, "Cool hats," and left.

Kelly watched her moving through the empty tables.

"Emily's a little weird."

So authentic, isn't it! Many great authors use overheard conversations inside their work. In the same vein, Eudora Welty said, ""Long before I wrote stories, I listened for stories..."

As to ethical considerations, revealing identifiable details about anyone is a no no and so is making people uncomfortable by sitting in front of them and writing down what they say like my cousin and I did in our childhood.